Sign of Spring

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I shot this image last year during one of the counties many mud sales,which get their name from the usual muddy conditions in spring.I will be posting more sporadically for a while because I cannot keep up with posting everyday.This group of Amish men are bidding on farm implements.

Mary Baker Eddy

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This monument was completely in the dark until I illuminated it with flash. Doing so allowed the texture and inscriptions to reveal themselves. I must thank my friend Morrie who helped keep my camera dry under an umbrella while I moved around the structure with the flash.

Often, monuments and mausolea are designed by the same architect who designed other residences for the family. The Mary Baker Eddy monument does not follow that mold, instead, it was the result of a design competition. Egerton Swarthout, a New York architect, won the competition in 1914, with a tholos form design of a circular colonnade consisting of 8 columns each 15 feet in height. Swarthout omitted a roof because he felt there should be “nothing between the grave and sky but flowers”.

Originally, the architect specified the monument be constructed of Colorado or Vermont white marble. As an acknowledgement to the harsh New England winter, Bethel, Vermont, white granite was substituted because it withstands the elements significantly better than marble.

The Mary Baker Eddy monument has been acknowledged as one of the finest examples of the granite carver’s craft. Among the details incorporated into the design are the wild rose, which was Mrs. Eddy’s favorite flower, the morning glory, which opens to the light and closes to the darkness, the lamp of wisdom and a sheaf of wheat.

Husband and Wife

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Nestled at the base of a giant maple tree are the graves of this husband and wife. Her stone reads-“her example is our inheritance” and his reads, “the master called and found him”. I wonder if the tree was planted since they were buried or just happened to grow from a seed that landed there?

British Invasion

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You never know what you might come across when traveling, and this double-decker from England caught my eye as it was parked along the road in Massachusetts. Looking at this unique vehicle left many questions,as the drivers area looked tiny and impossible to get into and it appeared as if passengers would load from the back,but that might be way off. It doesn’t appear to be moving anytime soon.

Lobster Buoy Collection

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This home in Rockport Massachusetts beckoned me to capture its unique seacoast charm after I noticed the many old lobster buoys adorning the entrance. As I was speaking to the owners wife,she told me her husband had collected these authentic buoys along the shoreline years ago and this quaint scene had been featured in magazines more than once.

Waves of Snow

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Another image that features me using my flashlight to help reveal the texture in the snow as well as lighting each building.My camranger was having a little trouble transferring the image to my tablet at the farthest building as I lit it,but it all worked out in the end.

A Nice Accent

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This beautiful old mansion is made even more spectacular with the addition of heavy snow sticking to trees and bushes.This was one of the rare times I had to hand hold a shot instead of using my tripod.I stopped on the street and shot a quick series before having to move for other cars.

Frozen Stagecoach

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Lititz,Pa was voted Americas coolest small town this past year and one of the cool events they held was called the fire and ice festival.Expert ice carvers create these beautiful sculptures throughout town and thousands stroll the streets to take it all in. This stagecoach was one that caught my eye so I used my flashlight to bring out the icy details.Thankfully cold weather was around the region this year so the masterpieces were around for several days.